His First Lady (9 page)

“Let me see the salad, Rosalie,” Leon demanded as he walked into the kitchen to see how the meal was coming along.

Rosalie nodded. “Yes sir, Meester Leon.” Rosalie, their Dominican housekeeper had been with him and Evan a long time but he found it hard to get her to do anything that he asked her to do, right. The only perfect English that he knew she knew well was, ‘payday’.

She hurriedly pulled the salad out of the refrigerator and held it up for Leon’s approval. He had specifically instructed her to serve spinach salad to start off the meal and to ensure that each course was timed. He was going to show this man a great night determined to give Sam another opportunity to see things how he saw it.

“Fine, make sure that everything is perfect,” he said looking at his watch. “They should be here in a few minutes.”

Rosalie nodded as Leon hurried out of the kitchen and ran up the staircase taking wide strides two steps at a time. Leon walked into his bedroom and stood in front of the full length mirror admiring himself as he finished tying his tie. Evan walked out of the bathroom passing Leon who had to do a double take at his wife who looked simplistically beautiful. Her make-up was perfect, her hair was soft and free, and she wore a sleeveless black dress cinched at the waist along with a simple strand of pearls that hung around her neck.

“You look very nice,” He said eyeing her through the mirror.

“Thank you,” Evan responded with a smile.

Actually Leon knew that she had looked better than nice. She looked beautiful. It had been so long since he had complimented her that he found it difficult to tell her how beautiful she had looked. She seemed to glow in the fitting dress that accentuated her waist. At one time that would have excited him;
that was a long time ago
.

“I told Rosalie that I wanted the meal to be timed. I don’t want this old jackass in my house any longer than he has to be. He’s the reason why this church isn’t expanding and reaching out to people. He’s the only thing standing in the way of growth and progress, and making sure God’s work is done.”

Leon noticed Evan’s eyebrows rise seemingly at what he’d said about Sam as she placed pearl studs in her ears.

“What’s that look for?”

Evan shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I think Sam is such a nice person.”

Leon looked at Evan and shook his head. “I know you think that old fart is a nice person. That nice person is the one that is preventing me from buying the land that I need.”

“You mean that the church needs,” Evan said looking at him.

Leon stopped buttoning his jacket and looked up at Evan.

“You know what I mean.”

Evan and Leon’s eyes met for a second before Evan turned away. “How could one person be responsible for stopping the church from growing? I thought the board was responsible for that,” Evan asked.

Leon sighed. “That board. I wish I could get rid of all of them.”

A confused look covered Evan’s face.

“What is with you with all of these crazy looks?”

Evan blew her breath. “I guess I don’t understand. Are you saying that there’s no one on the board that supports your plans?”

“A few but they couldn’t pass a measure by themselves. Some of those board members are just lame ducks; they just sit there. Everybody just seems so afraid of Sam.” Leon balled his fists up just thinking about it. “If Sam says not to take a crap, they won’t.”

“I don’t know what happened in that last meeting but I know that Sam is a good man and he and his wife are some of the sweetest most God loving people I know.”

Leon rolled his eyes at Evan. “You would, Ev.”

Evan frowned. “I’m going to head down. They should be here soon.”

Leon watched Evan walk out of the room wondering whether she was just naïve or just plain stupid.

Evan loved watching Sam and Emily with one another. They finished each other’s sentences in a cute not annoying way. They were opposite in appearance but somehow looked a lot alike. Evan figured it must have been true what people said;
the longer you’re married, the more you start to look alike
. Sam was tall and thin while Emily, one of the church mothers, was short and round but they shared handsome aged faces and attractive genuine smiles.

Evan watched them relate to each other tenderly. She admired how Sam kept his hand on Emily’s chunky lower back always either just resting on it or rubbing it as if he couldn’t get enough of her. She knew it was crazy of her but she felt a bit envious of the way Sam treated Emily and wondered if she and Leon could be like that at that age or at any age.

It had been a great evening and now the lemon meringue pie and coffee was a nice addition to Rosalie’s gorgeous meal. Both Sam and Emily had been at the house before but she and Leon had never spent time alone with them as a couple. Evan found it gratifying that Leon was his usual charming self, making jokes and having Sam and Emily on the edge of their seats laughing. That wasn’t at all what she was expecting.

Sam had always seemed a lighthearted man but Evan had seen him in an even more appealing light and wondered why Leon had been so cynical toward him just hours before.

After a deep laugh, Emily looked over at Evan and Leon.

“Pastor, thank you and the First lady for having us over for dinner, it was such a blessing.”

“Pastor, I agree. Dinner was fantastic,” Sam said looking at Emily who nodded in joyful agreement with him.

“We’ve had a wonderful time,” Leon said sitting up straight as Rosalie came in to remove the plates from the table.

Evan smiled. “We are all too happy to have you two over. The church is growing so fast that I thought we needed a little one on one time.”

“I agree. God is doing great things in the church,” Sam added taking a sip of coffee.

“Yes, he is,” Emily said smiling at Evan.

Leon smiled his large toothy smile, watching Sam. “I think we could do much more to spread the gospel if we expanded the church’s outreach. I need you to help me do that Sam.”

Sam grinned. “The church is growing and God is doing it at his pace. He has used you to make tremendous leaps, Pastor.”

“If we purchase the land then he could use me so much more.” Leon agreed. “We have to loosen the purse strings if we’re going to be one of the biggest churches doing God’s work in this city,” Leon said excitingly placing his arms in the air. “In this state.”

Sam began looking uncomfortable and rubbed Emily’s back a bit faster. Evan suddenly felt slightly embarrassed and wondered why Leon thought it was okay to place Sam and Emily and herself in such an awful position. At that moment, she wished that there was another course of food to come out but there wasn’t.

“Gentlemen, let’s not discuss church business tonight.” Emily pleaded with a smile on her gentle face. “Sammy?”

Evan couldn’t have agreed more with Emily. She didn’t know whether to sit still or ask Emily to the living area away from what was seemingly becoming a tense conversation.

“Sam,” Leon leaned toward Sam and folded his hands. “If this ministry is going to move forward and be the church that God wants it to be then we have got to be open to change and not be afraid to grow with the rest of the world.”

“Pastor, we’re growing with the world but we’re also called to be different than the world,” Sam said with his face suddenly taking on a strained affect. “However, let me tell you that I agree with you concerning the need for growth and change for our church but I don’t necessarily agree that the time is now.”

“But in order to reach the world, we have got to be bigger and better than the world. I have a vision. God has given me a vision for the church and I see this church growing with more than just a daycare, a music ministry and a youth ministry. I see so much more. I see us sending missionaries to foreign countries and demonstrating to the world that Jesus Christ is lord and JMC is here to proclaim that. I see a mega church.”

Sam picked up his coffee cup to take a sip but there was nothing in it leaving him unable to offer a distraction from the conversation. He cleared his throat then placed his palms flatly on the table. “Pastor, JMC is so much more than daycare, music and youth ministries. We have a prison ministry, singles ministry, we offer elderly care, sick and shut in, financial assistance, marriage seminars and much more and we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God doesn’t need to cause chaos or discord in the church to proclaim the good news.”

Emily watched Sam and remained subdued during her husband’s cool and calm delivery. When he finished she sat up straight then looked over at Evan. “May I have another cup of coffee, dear?”

Evan nodded but before she could push her chair out, Rosalie came out with the coffee pot to refill everyone’s cups leaving Evan without an opportunity to excuse herself from the tense atmosphere.

Leon stared down at his newly filled cup of coffee. “Sam, I feel that we are called to buy that land, build more buildings, and a bigger sanctuary.”

Sam took a deep breath. “Pastor, I have been at JMC for a long time. I love this church and its people. God has used you in such a mighty way and I think he will continue to use you but everything has a season and if this land is for us then God will ensure that we have it for his purposes.”

Leon laughed. “It’s amazing how you keep talking about God’s purpose when you seem to be standing in the way of God’s purpose.”

The atmosphere seemed to get tense. Evan looked at Leon hoping that he’d calm down and not embarrass their guests but he didn’t bother to look her way.

“I am only one man and cannot stand in the way of God’s purpose for his church.”

“Sammy, I think we should probably go,” Emily said looking at her watch. “It’s getting late.”

As if not hearing her, Leon tapped his fingers on the table. “That board doesn’t want to make a move without you specifically agreeing to it and you know it. I’ve brought the church from being an unknown small church in deep debt, facing foreclosure to where it is today with well over eight thousand members and I don’t intend to stop now.”

Everyone became uncomfortably silent.

Sam stood up. “I’m sure you won’t pastor.”

“We really enjoyed ourselves,” Emily said as Sam helped her out of her chair.

“Pastor, First lady, thank you both for a wonderful meal and blessed fellowship, but it is getting late and we should be heading out,” Sam said helping Emily with her coat.

Evan stood with a smile and hugged Emily. “Thank you so much for coming.”

Leon also stood clearly not ready to concede the conversation. “I enjoyed having you both. Sam, I ask that you please consider what we’ve discussed.”

Sam nodded as they all walked toward the foyer. “I will do just that, Pastor.”

Leon smiled and placed his hands within his pockets and turned to Emily. “Emily, thank you for coming; looking beautiful and sitting gracefully throughout the conversation.”

Emily smiled. Sam opened the door for Emily who stepped out into the cool night air. Sam then reached for his hat off of the coat rack. Leon held out his hand to shake Sam’s but instead Sam looked at it then threw his arm around Leon in a brotherly hug. He released Leon and looked at him with a smile. “Pastor, Abraham Lincoln said, ‘nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.’” Sam then placed his hat on his head, and walked out of the door.

Watching the lights of Sam’s Cadillac exit the drive way, Evan shut the door and looked at Leon whose facial expression appeared emotionless. Exchanging no words with Leon, she walked past him toward the kitchen while he stood staring at the door.

The telephone rang loud. Evan was startled out of her sleep and wasn’t sure how long it had rung before it woke her. She looked over at Leon who hadn’t budged but she didn’t expect him too, seeing that he was a deep sleeper. Evan looked at the clock and it read, 2:36 a.m. She reached over Leon and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“First lady…” The panicked caller said.

A sleep disoriented Evan wiped her eyes. “Yes,” Evan said wondering if this was a real conversation or a dream.

“This is Katie, Sundi’s mom.”

Evan stretched her eyes open after realizing she wasn’t dreaming and realizing who it was on the phone. She looked at the clock again knowing something must be wrong. “What’s wrong?”

“Can you and the Pastor please come to Camden Memorial hospital, right now? It’s Sundi, she did something awful,” Katie cried out. “My baby cut her wrists and it’s bad,” Katie said as she began sobbing loudly. “It’s real bad, my baby’s hurt.”

“We’re on our way,” Evan said without hesitating. She slammed down the phone and began shaking Leon out of his sleep.

“What is it?”

Evan leaped from their bed and shouted to Leon. “It’s Sundi. We’ve got to go!”

Leon stood and watched as Evan sat in the waiting area with her arm around Katie’s shoulder as Katie attempted between sobs to tell how she found Sundi. Some members of Katie’s family either stood or sat around as they all waited for the doctor’s report which reportedly was to be coming soon after Sundi’s surgery.